The HELICA mock-up. Experimental results and numerical thermo-mechanical analyses

Out of Pile Thermo-Mechanical Testing of Breeder Pebble Beds for HCPB TBM for ITER

Final report on the test campaigns HELICA I-II performed in HEFUS facility

Steady state and transient thermal–hydraulic analyses on ITER divertor module

Abstract One of the most challenging components of ITER is the divertor devoted at controlling the characteristics of the plasma boundary, exhausting the α particles and reducing the impurities in the plasma. The thermal–hydraulic design of the divertor is particularly, demanding because of the high heat loads and the cooling flow margin in the plasma-facing components (PFCs). The pressure drop is limited by the pumping power and also avoiding the risk of reaching critical heat flux (CHF). Furthermore, for maintenance operation foreseen, each single divertor cassette should be drained and dried before withdrawing it out from the vacuum vessel. To address these requirements, European Fusion …

Preparation of HEXCALIBER tests and preliminary thermo-mechanical analyses

Final report on the contract EFDA 682 - Preparation of integration and hydraulic tests of full-scale divertor components.

Status of ceramic breeder pebble bed thermo-mechanics R&D and impact on breeder material mechanical strength

Abstract Among the international fusion solid breeder blanket community, there exists steady progress on the experimental, phenomenological, and numerical characterizations of the pebble bed effective thermo physical and mechanical properties, and of thermomechanic state of the bed under prototypical operating conditions. This paper summarizes recent achievements in pebble bed thermomechanics that were carried out by members of the IEA Fusion Nuclear Technology Subtask I Solid Breeding Blanket. A major goal is on developing predictive capability while identifying a pre-conditioned equilibrium stress state that would warrant pebble bed integrity during operations. The paper reviews and synth…

The ITER divertor cassette. Steady-state characterisation and draining and drying transient hydraulic analyses

Thermo-mechanical testing of Li-ceramic for the helium cooled pebble bed (HCPB) breeding blanket

The helium cooled pebble bed (HCPB) Test blanket module (TBM) for the DEMO Reactor foresees the utilization of lithiate ceramics as breeder in form of pebble beds. The pebbles are organized in several layers alternatively stacked among couples of cooling plates (CP). ENEA has launched an experimental programme for the out-of-pile thermo-mechanical testing of mock-ups simulating a portion of the HCPB-TBM. The programme foresees the fabrication and testing of different mock-ups, to be tested in the HE-FUS3 facility at ENEA Brasimone. The paper describes the HELICHETTA III campaign carried-out in 2003. In particular, the test section layout, the pebble filling procedure, the experimental set-u…

Progress in the benchmark exercise for analyzing the lithiate breeder pebble bed thermo-mechanical behaviour

The Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) Blanket is one of the reference concepts for the European Breeding Blanket Programme for DEMO. In the reference blanket module, alternate layers of lithiated ceramics and beryllium pebbles act, respectively, as tritium breeder and neutron multiplier. The thermo-mechanical behaviour of both the pebble beds and their performances in reactor relevant conditions are also dependent on the pebble size and cell geometries (bed thickness, pebble packing factor, bed thermal conductivity). Therefore, in the EU Fusion Technology Programme, several out-of-pile experimental test campaigns have been performed to determine these behaviours. Theoretical calculations have…

Experimental tests on Li-ceramic breeders for the helium cooled pebble bed (HCPB) blanket design

The Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) Test Blanket Module (TBM) to be tested in ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) Reactor foresees the utilization of Lithiate ceramics as Tritium breeder in form of pebble beds. Since 1998, ENEA has launched many experimental activities for the evaluation of the breeder thermomechanics and the interaction between the pebble beds and the prismatic steel containment walls. Main objectives of these activities are the measurement of the pebble bed effective thermal conductivity, the wall heat transfer coefficient, the pressure loads and deformations on the lateral walls and their dependency from the mechanical constraints. The paper presents …